Radiator fans

[s p a c e m a n]

These crappy fiberglass cowling things that the radiators are attached to, is there any point to them? Mine are a state and I was planing on removing them and painting, but thought I could just fix the fans directly to the radiator with those plastic push through clips and bin them. Any downsides?

[Number 7]

Not sure what your set-up is like, but usually the cowl will not only support the fan and motor, but ensures that air is drawn through the rad core, rather than from around the sides, i.e. it should seal to the rad face as closely as possible.

[QBee]

As above....air takes the route of least resistance, and you want it to go through the radiator.
I would avoid giving it a chance to miss the rad.

[ClassiChimi]

I'm sure I read somewhere that the early cars without the fan shrouds could suffer cooling issues so I suppose that suggests you'll get a better draw of air through the rad with the shrouds,
Maybe Tvr G..n or similar may have a decent second hand pair, the fans are only ever likely to come on when in slow moving traffic or stationary so the better it draws that cool air through the quicker the fans go off again.

[Bassfiendnoideawhathp]

Fitting the fan cowls is the next change to mine (along with the heftier SPAL fans) as mine doesn't have them...

Without the fan cowls the rad overcools at speed (as the airflow is completely unrestricted) and undercools when the fans are running (as air isn't drawn through the whole radiator core area).

Phil

[s p a c e m a n]

Thanks people, I'll paint them up and stick them back on then. I've only got yellow paint at the moment though

[Bassfiendnoideawhathp]

ClassiChimi said:

I'm sure I read somewhere that the early cars without the fan shrouds could suffer cooling issues so I suppose that suggests you'll get a better draw of air through the rad with the shrouds,
Maybe Tvr G..n or similar may have a decent second hand pair, the fans are only ever likely to come on when in slow moving traffic or stationary so the better it draws that cool air through the quicker the fans go off again.

I got my cowls from Racing Green but they wouldn't be hard to fabricate and mine don't even have circular fan holes - they're oval!